Bobbin chute for weft replenishing looms



y 1945. R. e. TURNER- BOBBIN CHUTE. FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Filed Feb. 26, 1944 2 Shee cs-She'et l May 22, 1945. R.'G TURNER BQBBIN CHUTE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LQOMS Filed Feb. 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .p/ll/l/l/l/l/l//////////// Patented May 22, 1945 BOBBIN CHUTE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Richard .G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application'February 26, 1944, Serial No. 523.996

16 Claims. (Cl. 139--255) This invention relates to improvements in bobbin chutes for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a chute so constructed that it will direct the outgoing bobbin along a path away from other bobbins which may be in the bobbin can.

When electrical weft detectors are employed 'it is customary to provide the bobbins with metallic ferrules which upon being uncovered at the time of weft exhaustion complete an electric circuit through the detector to set the loom for a replenishing operation. The ferrules are necessarily light and thin and are easily damaged, particularly if struck by the rings on. the bobbin butts. A badly dented ferrule may fail to establish proper contact with the electrodes of the weft detector with resultant failure to set the replen ishing mechanism.

When the bobbins are expelled from the shuttles they collect in a bobbin can at the front of the loom under the shuttle box. Loom lays have customarily been provided with chutes having fiat surfaces which are deflected downwardly and forwardly toward the bobbin can. As heretofore constructed, however, these chutes have not been successful in directing the outgoing bobbin away from the group of bobbins in the bottom of the can, and the bobbin in motion has struck the other bobbins and produced dents in their ferrules. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a bobbin chute having a curved surface concave to the path of the outgoing bobbin and so constructed as to cause the bobbin to leave the bottom of the curved surface along a path which is well above the group of bobbins in the bottom of the can.

The ordinary chute is so constructed that the expelled bobbin strikes it at an angle and is likely to rebound without traveling down along the surface of the chute. The speed of the bobbin therefore suffers very little if any retardation by its contact with the chute. It is a further object of my present invention to form the chute with a. surface so shaped that the bobbin will strike the upper part of it at a very slight angle to minimize rebound and then roll down'along the lower part of the chute and be retarded by frictional contact with the chute.

It is another object of my present invention-to provide a chute having a forwardly concave surface the lower edge of which is tangential to a line leading to the front wall of the bobbin can. With a chute of this form the bobbin will have a forwardly directed path as it leaves the lower edge of the chute and will strike a shock absorber pref erably placed along the inside of the front wall of the can to prevent excess rebounding of the bobbin after it reaches the can.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein two forms of the invention are set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a loom. provided with my improved bobbin chute,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation looking in the direc tion of arrow 2, Fig. 1, I

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the bobbin chute, the can and the descending bobbin when the latter strikes the upper part of the curved surface of the bobbin chute,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the direction of the path of the bobbin when the latter leaves the bottom of the curved surface" of the bobbin chute,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. l butshowing a modified form of bobbin chute having a forwardly concave surface on a resilient plate which can yield to adapt itself somewhat to the force of the descending bobbin and thereafter act by its resilience to direct the bob bin forwardly,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig, 5, and Fig. '7 shows the type of bobbin used with my invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame l0 and a lay L having'a shuttle box B to receive a shuttle S. The magazine M for the reserve bobbins is mounted above the lay and includes in its construction a transferrer arm I I by means of which a bobbin may be moved from the magazine into the shuttle S.

The lay L is mounted on lay swords I5 one of which is shown in Fig. 1 and is swung back and forth in the usual manner by driving mechanism not shown. The lay is provided with a vertical slot l 6 through which the depleted bobbin passes at the time of replenishment. The outgoing bobbins are received by a bobbin can C which may be supported on a bracket 20 carried by the side of the loom. Except as effect of which is to force the empty bobbinQBi to these ferrules results when the expelled bob-- bin strikes them with full force and. it isfor the purpose of preventing this last effect that I have developed a bobbin chute having a curved surface.

In carrying the preferredform of mywpresent invention into effect I provide an improvedbobbin chute E comprising feet secured to the under side of the lay and having a web 26 the forward or left surface 2'! of which as viewed in. Fig; 1- is curved downwardly. and forwardly. The chute-is soconstructed that itslower end can pass over the rear wall.2| of thebobbin can as theJay approaches front .center position;

Fig; 3 shows, diagrammatically the relation ofv the descending depleted .bobbin- B and the surface 21 early. in. the descent of. the bobbin. Ii; will: be seen. fromthis figure that the downward path of the outgoing. bobbin. as,. it leaves the shuttla. indicated by arrow C, Fig. 3, is. almost parallel to a tangenttothe surfacefl atthe-point of. contact between, the. bobbinv and. the chute. There is therefore little force acting-to causeforward rebounding, of thebobbin. As the bobbin moves downwardly. along surface 21. its. direction of...movement..is.changed and when it ultimatelyreaches the :bottom. of, the chute it is movin .forwardlg along some such path as that indicated by; arrow. at, Fig. 4 toward. a. point onlthe front walL of. thebobbin canabove the previouslyex-v pelled bobbins B2. The full forceof thebobbin.

B is.-therefore spent before it strikes any of. the other bobbins.

In order to. absorbtheshock. of. bobbin. B. I.

provide-.the inner surface .of the :front wallof the bobbin-canwith. a strip ofsoft material30, such as-felt' or .the like, which. absorbs agood dealof the energy of the moving bobbin. Thisstrip 30.-

may-besecuredas. at 3 I: to the upper part Of the front wall of the bobbincan andhangs .down far enough to .bestruck by the bobbin.

In Fig. 51 show a modified form of chute in.

which...theusual form of chute 35 has feet 36 securedgto the lay. Chute 35 has, a straight downwardly and forwardly extending apron or webi'l. having. a. flatfront surface. 38' such as customarily employed. To thefront of chute 31, however, I. secure .astrip of resilient. sheet metal 39the upper part of which is secured as atMl' to the webL31'and the lower part of which is curved forwardly, away from the surface 38. The strip hasafront surface 4|. which is of the same general'form as the surface 21 shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Asthe descending bobbin strikes the upper part of' sheet 39 it follows down alonga. path somewhat similar to that of the preferredform of' the invention, but'as the bobbin rolls alOng' the intermediatepart of sheet .39.the latter is bent rearwardly or to the right, Fig. 5, by a force exerted bythe. moving bobbin. As the latter continues downwardly, its path is. deflected forwardly by.

tion toward the wall 22 in addition to that derived from the curvature of surface 4|.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I hav provided simple means for preventing damage to bobbins in the can by directing the outgoing bobbin at the time of transfer along a forwardly directed path. well abovethebobbins. It will further beseen that this result is accomplished by providing the chute with a curved surface which 'iswconcave with respect to the path of the bobbin and. the lowerpartof which is so disposed as to cause the bobbin to move toward the front wall of the can. Furthermore, it will be seen that the curved surface'of: the chute either eliminates or greatly.minimizesrebounding of the bobbin when the latter firstcontacts the chute and for this vreasorrthebobbiniwill remain in contact with the chute and the lower part of the latter is thereby enabled to give the bobbin its proper direction of movement. Also,.it will. be seenthat inthe modified'formof the invention. the curved surfaceisformedon a .resilientmember. which acts tomove the bobbin forwardly notv only because of. its curved shapebutalso because of its inherent..re silience.

Having thus described my. invention-it wilLbe seen that changes. and modifications. may be made therein by those skilled. in. the art. without. departing. from the spirit. and. scope. of. the..in.- vention. and I. do, not wish. to. belimited. to the details. herein-disclosed; butwhatI claim is:.

1.,In a weft replenishing.1oom.having. a.lay and. a shuttleboxthereon fromlwhich-a depleted. bobbin is ejected. downwardly. a. bobbin chutesecuredto the lay and extending downwardly. andforwardly therefrom. behind the path of. the ejected bobbin and having a bobbintengagingsun face which. is concave. with. respect tov arpoint in frontof the lay. and. over. the bottom. of. the. chute.

2.,In a weft-.replenishing. loom. having. a. layand. a shuttle. boxQthereon fromwhich. a depleted bobbin ,is ej ected.downwardly,-. a. bobbin .chute'secured .to. the .layand extending downwardly theresaidchute having. a. curved. surface for. enga e.-

ment. with theejected bobbin. so,constr.ucted that the.-major. component, of. a. tangent. to the. lower. part .ofthe. curved surface is.hori'zontal.

3. In. a. weft. replenishing. loom. having alay anda. shuttle. box thereon from which. adepleted bobbin: is ejected. downwardly toward a bobbin. can. having. a. front..wallj anddepleted bobbins in. thebottomthereof. a. bobbinchute securedto the lay and extending. downwardly and. forwardly therefrom toward the bobbin can. andhavingla curved surfacebehind. the path of the, ejected bobbin, the. upper part of the curvedsurface near. the. lay extending, downwardly. generally in. the. directiomof the path-of the bobbinas the-latter. is -ej ected from the shuttle boxandthe lowerpartof saidsurface-being curved toward. arpointzonsaid; front walbabove: the bobbins in the can.

4; In a weft I replenishing: loom-having a' lay andashuttleaboxthereon: from which: az'depleteds bobbin" isreiectedt downwardly. toward a bcEbTncan. havingra front Wall: and depleted bobbins in the bottom thereof, a bobbin chute securedito the lay under; the; shuttle 1 box a and having a surface behind the path traversed by the ejected bobbin-which is concave with respectt'o said path, said curved surface being so shaped that the ejected bobbin after'sliding down along said surface leaves-the latt'erand moves forwardly toward a part of said'wall above the bobbins in the'can;

to the path.

5. In a weftrepenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly toward a bobbin can having a front wall and depleted bobbins in the bottom thereof, a bobbin chute secured to the under side of the lay and having a surface behind the path of the ejected bobbin which is curved downwardly and forwardly so that a forwardly projected tangent to the bottom of the curved surface extends toward a part of said front wall above the bobbins in the can.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly, a bobbin chute formed of resilient material depending from the lay in front of the path of the ejected bobbin, said chute being of such form as to present a downwardly and forwardly extending concave surface for engagement with the ejected bobbin.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon. from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly, a bobbin chute .member secured to the lay and extending downwardly therefrom, and a strip of resilient material having the upper end thereof secured to said chute member and having the lower end thereof spaced forwardly from said member, said resilient strip having a surface in front of the path of the ejected bobbin concave with respect 8. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly, a resilient bobbin chute extending downwardly from the lay behind the path of the ejected bobbin and having a bobbin engaging surface which is concave with respect to the path of the ejected bobbin, said chute being deflected rearwardly by the ejected bobbin and thereafter moving forwardly while still in contact with the bobbin, said-chute being operative because of the curved surface thereof and also because of the resilience thereof to direct the ejected bobbin forwardly.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly, a resilient bobbin chute extending downwardly from the lay behind the path of the ejected bobbin and having a surface which is concave with respect to said path, a tangent to the upper part of said surface being substantially parallel to the path traversed by the ejected bobbin when the latter first engages said chute, said chute being deflected rearwardly with respect to the lay from normal position by the bobbin during part of the descent of the latter and said chute thereafter returning to normal positionwith respect to the lay while still in contact with the bobbin, said chute effective due to the curvature thereof and'also return movement thereof to normal position to direct the bobbin along a forwardly directed path.

- 10. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon from which a depleted bobbin is ejected downwardly toward a bobbin can having a front wall and containing depleted bobbins, a resilient bobbin chute extending downwardly from the lay behind the path of the ejected bobbin and formed with a surface concave to said path and so formed that the lower part thereof extends toward a part of said wall above the bobbins in the can.

11. In a bobbin chute for a loorn having a lay, said chute having means for attachment to the lay and having a concave bobbin engaging surface which is curved downwardly and forwardly.

12. In a, bobbin chute for a loom having a lay, said chute having attaching means for connection to the'lay and having a curved surface which is concave with respect to a point in front of said attaching means and above the bottom of the chute.

13. In a bobbin chute for a loom having a lay,

. said chute having attaching means for connection to the lay and having a resilient part curved downwardly and forwardly with respect to said attaching means, said resilient part being capable of movement backwardly and forwardly relatively to said attaching means.

14. In a resilient bobbin chute for a loom having a lay and a bobbin can in front thereof, said chute having provision for attachment to the lay and including in its construction a resilient art having a front bobbin engaging surface which curves downwardly from the lay and forwardly toward the bobbin can.

15. In a resilient bobbin chute for a loom having a lay and a bobbin can in front of the lay, said chute having attaching means for connection to the lay and including in its construction a resilient part having a bobbin engaging surface which is concave with respect to a point in front of said attaching means and above the bottom of the chute.

16. A loom lay bobbin chute having a body of resilient material formed with a downwardly and forwardly curved bobbin engaging surface.

RICHARD Gr. TURNER. 

